On Thursday, April 1, we’re participating in a uniquely Asheville event in lieu of our regular tasting: The Terrapin Beer Co. Asheville Pub Crawl. John Wetzel from Terrapin Beer Co. will be leading the crawl, starting at 6:30 p.m. that evening beginning at The Bier Garden. The brewery has done several crawls in Atlanta and their hometown of Athens. Deets:

Join us on a crawl of downtown Asheville, visiting five great beer spots! Bier garden, Mellow Mushroom, Bruisin’ Ales, Barley’s Taproom and The Thirsty Monk! Each stop along the way will have a Terrapin beer selection. Cost is $30/pp and includes beer at every stop and a Terrapin Beer Co. t-shirt.

Pre-registration and payment at Bruisin’ Ales is required to participate. CASH ONLY.

Another Carolina brewery will launch next Thursday TODAY in Asheville: Mother Earth Brewing from Kinston, NC. Owner Trent Mooring and Brewmaster Josh Brewer (great name, eh?) will be coming along to chat beer and put beverages in your hands. The evening starts with a tasting at the humble storefront from 5:00-7:00 p.m. followed by four Mother Earth taps at The Thirsty Monk. Please join us, beer people, as we welcome a new North Carolina brewery into the mountains! We had the great opportunity to share a beer with Brewmaster Josh way back in late 2009 and we’re excited to have him back.

About the brewery: “Take the goodness of garden-grown products, the warmth of small town life, the earthy ethic of rock ‘n roll, a deep respect for a time-honored craft…and you have the ingredients of Mother Earth Brewing. Born in the summer of 2008, Mother Earth is the dream-child of Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring, two guys from Kinston, North Carolina, a sweet southern town in the heart of the old tobacco belt.”

Endless River Kölsch
“A clean, crisp beer, Kolsch offers a very slight fruity flavor and aroma. It is light gold in color, with a delicate head. This light-bodied beer appeals to nearly everyone who samples it. Expect to enjoy a slight tang in the finish.”

Weeping Willow Wit
“This beer style is over 400 years old, and continues to enjoy overwhelming popularity. Offering low hop bitterness, it is easy to enjoy. It pours very hazy, with a light gold color… we say it’s like summertime in a glass. Bitter orange peel and fresh coriander add zest and depth to this refreshing beer.”

Dark Cloud Munich Dunkel
“Steeped in a long history dating back hundreds of years, this “old-fashioned” beer is again in vogue. Lager is the German word meaning “to store,” so this beer ages three times longer than our ales do. “Dunkel” means dark in German, but don’t let the color fool you, it is by no means heavy, overbearing or bitter. In fact, it proves to be a very drinkable session beer.”

Sisters of the Moon IPA
“Made with hops grown in the good ‘ol USA… you’ll proudly support American farmers when you drink this beer! Light copper in color, it has an intense hop aroma and strong hop bitterness. Our hopback process uses fresh hop cones to take this IPA to unexpected places. Prepare for a mouthful of flavor.”

Todd, the assistant brewer from Catawba Valley Brewing Company in Morganton, NC joins us this week in the tasting room! Five beer flight including the new Hyper Monkey Java Stout! Notes from the brewery:

White Zombie (ABV 4.7%)
Hazy golden white in color, our interpretation of a Belgian White (Wit) Ale is brewed with two row barley and unmalted wheat. The appearance is hazy due to the high protein content of the unmalted wheat. The addition of bitter orange peel and freshly ground coriander seed gives this very refreshing, low alcohol beer a wonderfully complex fruity and spicy aroma. The addition of English hops is subtle and detected with the smack of the tounge, which is followed and finished with a delicate slice of bread.

Firewater IPA (ABV 6.4%): A complex cross between an English and American style IPA. Olympic Gold in color, Firewater IPA boasts a unique malt backbone. Along with a hefty amount of two row barley, munich, caramel-40, carapils and a touch of wheat dominate the recipe. Six different hop varieties showcase the best England and the United States has to offer.

Indian Head Red Ale (ABV 5.2%)
Our interpretation of an an Irish Red Ale. Dark ruby in color, this very malt focused beer is achieved from the incorporation of specialty malts such as caramel60, caramel-120 and special B. Four different hop varieties lend a very complex and balanced non-traditional approach to this delicious style of beer.

Brown Bear Ale (ABV 5.0%)
Probably our most delicious malt focused product. The incorporation of four specialty malts such as caramel-60, caramel-120, special B and chocolate create the color of a sun burnt brown bear. Caramel, toffee and chocolate immediately saturate the taste sensations with English hops waiting around until the very end to surprise the palate.

Hyper Monkey Coffee Stout (ABV 6.1%)
With the ability to block out the sun, this stout is black in color and truly opaque. A heaping portion of specialty malts such as caramel-120, chocolate, roast and carapils contribute to a deceivingly thick body with little viscosity. Organic, fair trade Central American coffee is added post fermentation to confuse the consumer into believing that the day is just beginning. You’re welcome.

Craggie Brewing Company makes its first appearance in-store on Thursday, February 18 5-7 p.m., with a four-beer flight. This tasting is FREE.

Battery Hill Bitter
Pale & Rye malts are hopped with Brewer’s Gold & First Gold and paired with a British yeast blend for a tart malty taste with hoppy hints of the English Countryside. [ABV 4.2%]

Swannanoa Sunset
Munich and Pilsen malts are double hopped with Hallertau Tradition. This German brew is crisp and clean like a lager, but malty and hoppy like an ale. [ABV 4.2%]

Dubbelicious (“Love” month seasonal)
Barley, Rye, Wheat and Oat malts are brewed with Belgian candy sugar and then fermented with a Regional yeast strain. This Belgian ‘double’ is our “sweet tart” ale for February. [ABV 6.5%]

Meet Your Maker Barleywine
Our barleywine has hints of First Gold hops and warm notes of toffee and raisins. The 9% ABV in this not-so-session brew is balanced well by the residual sugars from Munich malt. Ask Brewmaster Bill about the story behind the name.

The following was sent to us by our friends at COAST Brewing in Charleston, SC. I know we’re going to try to make it, how about you? For a first-time venture into a planning a festival—something we can’t even imagine—this is top-notch stuff with top-notch speakers. But Jaime at COAST is pretty kick-ass, so this actually does not surprise us at all. Impressed!

COAST Brewing Company and The Charleston Beer Exchange collaborate to create “Charleston Brewvival”, a craft beer festival in North Charleston, South Carolina. Brewvival will consist of over thirty breweries, including both regional and national brewers, showcasing unusual and limited offerings.  Brewers and Brewery owners will be on hand to introduce their wares including key note speaker Greg Koch, CEO and co-founder of Stone Brewing Co., one of the largest craft beer producers in the U.S. Charleston Brewvival takes place on Saturday, February 27th from Noon to 6pm at The Navy Yard at Noisette in North Charleston.

COAST Brewing and The Charleston Beer Exchange have decided to bring their unique areas of expertise and passion for promoting quality beer drinking to a festival, celebrating the growth and continued experimentation within the craft beer segment.

“I’ve been really impressed with the trajectory of South Carolina over the past few years”, says Greg Koch, CEO of Stone Brewing Co. and Key Note Speaker of the festival.

“The team effort of the local brewing community and important events like Brewvival have set the stage for a world-class craft beer scene.  Personally, I’m looking very forward to attending the event and sharing beers in the beautiful state of South Carolina!”

For additional information including ticketing, transportation and accommodations see www.charlestonbrewvival.com or call (843) 577-5446.

Ryan from New Belgium Brewing Company is coming to town for a tasting on Thursday, Feb. 4 and we’re partnering together with the brewery for the cause of Asheville non-profit, Mission MANNA, as a fundraiser for Haiti. Mission Manna is a faith-based organization located in Western North Carolina that provides medical care for malnourished children and continuing healthcare education for adults in and around the Haitian town of Montrouis. The non-profit has been actively involved with Haiti for ten years. The following is from Todd J. Kaderabek, Chairperson of Mission MANNA, Inc.:

As you are aware, on January 12, Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake and is now in need of humanitarian assistance to a degree above and beyond what we have ever known. As such, Mission Manna is continuing our efforts in three major areas: health care access, malnutrition rehabilitation, and sustainable nutrition.

Establishing a sustainable source of food and income is a key component in ultimately improving the health and quality of the lives of children and their families in Haiti. This project contemplates the use of agriculture to provide impoverished families with nutrition and income and will initially focus on the introduction of goats as to better the lives of poor families in and around the Montrouis community. We are fortunate to report that our Montrouis clinic site was largely unaffected and all of our staff, friends and immediate family survived. That said, we are feeling the impact of the earthquake in the form of food prices tripling and fuel costs as high as $40 per gallon. That said, we are adapting to current conditions and our core mission will remain unchanged.

This four-flight beer tasting will include the new Ranger IPA, Mighty Arrow Pale Ale (seasonal), 1554 Black Ale, and La Folie Flemish Sour.

$5/per person gets you into the tasting, plus a raffle ticket with a chance to win three different prizes:

New Belgium glass
Bruisin’ Ales t-shirt
6-pack of Prestige (the official beer of Haiti!)

Drawings will start at 6:40 pm, though we will welcome donations up until we conclude at 7:00 pm.

I don’t know why, but for some reason Pisgah Brewing likes to come see us on Tuesdays for tastings and shake things up a bit. We can oblige for a little early-in-the-week fun! Per usual, they are breaking out the big guns (and now I fear for my life two Tuesdays from now). See you there! This will be your first taste of this year’s Vortex II—super double yummers—and please bring some water with you for these big, extreme beers.

There will be a $2/pp fee for this tasting to benefit our charity FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Thanks, Pisgah, for helping us keep up America’s Favorite Drive!

Valdez: “This mouth watering stout is brewed with organic, fair-trade coffee beans from Dynamite Coffee Roasters. The aroma of fresh coffee leaps from the glass, and finishes slightly dry. Treat yourself to the finest coffee stout this season.” [6.8% abv]

Baptista: “This Belgian Noël takes it’s name from Jan Baptista van Helmont (1579-1644), the Flemish chemist and physician who first discovered CO2 and coined the word “gas” by recognizing the existence of gases distinct from air. This energy luminary was the founder of pneumatic chemistry and also the first to bridge alchemy and early chemistry. Hats off to the man behind the bubble. Proost and Happy Holidays!” [11.5% abv]

Vortex I: “The hoppiest beer in Buncombe County is back and hoppier than ever.  Brewed with over 3.5 grams of four distinct varieties of super high alpha hops per glass, lupulin lovers rejoice.  Treat Yourself while it’s fresh!” [11.2% abv]

Vortex II: “This Russian Imperial Stout would make any 18th century Czar proud.  The next batch of Vortex II will be ready in Fe’brew’ary.” [11.7% abv]

… and drumroll …

VINTAGE ‘08 Cosmos from the Pisgah Cellar! “Dark and mysterious, this Pisgah beer is a tribute to Belgian tradition and our homebrew roots. Combining the rich flavor of a Baltic Porter with the subtleness of a special Belgian yeast strain, the Cosmos is born. Bottle conditioned and aged for months this authentic organic beer will cellar for years to come. Respect tradition. Love beer. Treat Yourself!” [9.5% abv]

(That photo is my lame attempt at humor. Pisgah logo + space = Cosmos. Get it? Yeah, I know…)

Who’s been freezing like us? I think everyone has been hibernating the last few weeks. The indoor respite was nice but the stir-crazy is starting to set in so join us as we (alas, just pretend to) go to Italy and sample the wares of Teo Musso, the “Jim Morrison of craft beer.” Musso is the creative personae behind the Le Baladin Artisanal Brewery, Italy’s top-producer of craft beer and some of our favorite beers to come outside of the U.S., Belgium, Germany and the UK. There are all sorts of crazy stories about this guy. Second-hand tales from folks who’ve traveled there tell of an almost mystical experience with the carnival-like atmosphere of the brewery and brewpub. (Fans of the Dogfish Head Ancient Ales series are sure to love Nora, which is based on an old Egyptian recipe.) Le Baladin is definitely on our short-list of places to go in life, hopefully sooner than later. Here’s just a tidbit from the travels of beeralewhatever.com:

“Many hail him as a genius, though others of a more conventional stripe might think some of Musso’s ideas as thoroughly bonkers. For a start, most of the fermenting vessels have headphones attached to them. This is due to Musso’s belief that as yeast is alive it can respond to music, in the way newly born babies like a spot of Mozart. There is even a tango guitarist who has composed movements for the different phases of fermentation. Along with the regulation barley and hops, various spices, chocolate, coffee beans and even myrrh go into the brewing pot, while top-fermenting yeasts are joined by strains that usually work with whisky or wine. Then there is Musso’s latest creation, the Casa Baladin, which is a beer restaurant and hotel across the square from the bar, a unique stronghold of beer cuisine and seven luxuriant rooms all individually decorated to a theme. The Flowers Room is dominated by an incredible three-metre deep brass bath that was brought from North Africa; the Jewels Room is hip and minimalist, while the 70s one is lurid and psychedelic. You get the picture. There’s also a Turkish bath, while the high-ceilinged lounge continues with this mixture of modern and fantasy: old weathered beams hang over the proceedings, a metal chimney rising out through the roof has the feel of something out of 1001 Arabian Nights, some of the seating comes from an old Paris cinema. ‘I want to transmit experiences to people,’ he says.”

See? Tell me honestly you don’t want to go there!

Added bonus: Special tasting deals starting in 2010! We’re offering 15% OFF on all Baladin beers, excluding his loosely-categorized barleywines Xyauyu and Xyauyu Fumé (the smoked version of the latter). The Italian beers, in general, tend to fall in the “splurger” category, so this is a great opportunity to taste and purchase some fantastic beer at a great price.

LE BALADIN Wayan: “Teo calls it a Saison, but it is certainly his personal definition of a saison. Aroma & palate are rather complex, i.e. it takes some time to find your way through it, so to speak. The different hops are barely noticeable. The balance & bitterness is by a high degree provided by many spices, some of which are very, very unusual in brewing. (Teo does not disclose them.)” [Saison / 5.8% abv]

LE BALADIN Nora: “Teo’s wife, Nora, is the inspiration for this special beer, just released last year. Although she hails from the town of Lille, France, she also has Algerian heritage in her blood. So, this special brew has been concocted from an ancient Egyptian recipe. Unmalted kamut which was used in ancient Egyptian beers is employed. Hops, which would not have been used in Egypt, are employed in a tiny quantity, solely for their preservative power. Rather, ginger, myrrh, and orange peel are used to represent the balancing spices of ancient times. The myrrh provides the bittering that allows Teo to mostly forgo the use of hops.” [Egyptian Recipe / 6.8% abv]

LE BALADIN Super Baladin: “The Super Baladin is the masterpiece of the brewery and is most often the favorite among the customers at Le Baladin. It originated from an old recipe created toward the end of the 9th century following the style of the Belgian abbey beers. It is similar to a Belgian triple. The twist with this beer is that an English yeast strain is used for primary fermentation. Afterwards, it is bottle-conditioned for two months using a Belgian strain.” [Tripel / 8.0% abv]

LE BALADIN Al-Iksir: “The Al-iksir is characterized in Italy as a demi-sec beer. To write this beer off as a standard Belgian Strong Ale would be a mistake. It’s depth, complexity, and uniqueness stems from the masterful hand of brewer Teo Musso and his use of whiskey yeasts, from the island of Islay, for the primary fermentation. These yeasts conduct a rigorous fermentation lending a striking dryness and lively effervescence to the final beer. The beer pours with a thick head. The complex nose showcases almond and tropical fruit sentiments. As the intense scrubbing bubble hits the tongue malty flavors and aromas of baking spices spread through the mouth. It’s finish is dry and very warming from the high alcohol.” [Demi-sec / 10.0% abv]

[Photo: http://beeralewhatever.com]

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, Asheville beer people get to meet another beer “celebrity” when Ray Daniels comes to town. You can rank Ray right up there with Charlie Papazian with his incredible wealth of beer knowledge. Ray is in town to teach courses at the Grove Park Inn for Cicerone Certification Program. The Cicerone is the beer equivalent to a wine sommelier. In recent years with the resurgence of craft beer, there has been much debate as to what you call a true beer professional—the one that knows all things beer, inside-and-out. Daniels stepped to the challenge. Harvard educated with a storied career in beer (and marketing), Daniels has worked previously for the Real Ale Fest in Chicago and The Brewers Association before creating the Cicerone Program in 2007.

There is no other person in recent years whom we’ve heard more about that Daniels. He’s been called “the most educated man on beer” for one thing. And we have a special treat for you Asheville beer geeks. We’re hosting Ray in-store next Tuesday, January 19 starting at 6:30 p.m. for a meet-n-greet, so all you fanatics, homebrewers, and beer lovers should not miss this opportunity.

More on the program: A pre-requisite for the Cicerone Certification is the Beer Server Exam, a shorter test taken on-line for those in the industry. We highly encourage all folks working in the Asheville beer community to take this exam. (We’ll be taking the Beer Server Exam this weekend, prior to the courses at Grove Park Inn next week followed by the Cicerone later this year.) The Cicerone Program course syllabus is comprised of two courses designed to help those with weaknesses in particular areas of beer. For those interested, the information is below:

Registration Still Open for Cicerone Exam and Courses in Asheville!

Online registration is now available for the Ceritified Cicerone exam and two Cicerone Program advanced courses that will be held this month in Asheville, NC.

Advanced Courses:
Tuesday January 19, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm / Draft Beer Systems & Advanced Beer Service

Draft Systems & Advanced Beer Service:

- Enemies of beer – skunking, oxidation, heat, infection
- Proper handling & dispense: corked & bottle-conditioned beers
- Draft system components, structure & balance
- Draft system operation & maintenance
- Beer glassware

Tuesday January 19, 1:30 – 5:00 pm / Advanced Beer Styles (German & Belgian)

Advanced Beer Styles:

- Advanced beer quantitation: gravity, attenuation, BU:GU ratios
- German pale lagers
- German dark lagers
- German wheat beers
- German Rhine ales
- Belgian abbey and trappist ales
- Belgian farmhouse ales
- Belgian lambics & Flanders ales

Both courses will be conducted at Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC.

Exam:
Wednesday, January 20, starts at 11:00 am (Should finish by 3:00 pm.) / Asheville Brewing Co., Coxe Avenue location, Asheville, NC.

Advance Registration is Required. See Links Below.

Advanced Beer Styles German & Belgian

Advanced Draft Systems and Service

Combined Advanced Courses

That’s right! We’re doing an exclusive private tasting on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m at Bruisin’ Ales with the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. What better way to dive head-first into Christmas than with beer and chocolate? The tasting will include five of their holiday truffles, each paired with two Belgian holiday beer samples. This will be a fun, educational tasting to give your taste buds a work-out and see the complements and contrasts of beer and chocolate. Only 30 spots are available.

$15/pp !! TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW !!

Champagne – The dry, earthy flavors of Italian prosecco and Remy Martin Petit Champagne Cognac are subtly present within a light-bodied Madagascar dark chocolate. (w/ shaved white chocolate)

1. Unibroue “16″—Aging in cool storage for two years, this anniversary ale from Unibroue is a Belgian Strong Pale. “16″ is sweet with effervescent carbonation from Belgian yeast. Add to that a smack of caramel, clove and apple, maybe even banana? Bubble gum? [10.0% abv]
2. Gouden Carolus Noël—A dark, beautiful ruby beer, this is the top-selling Belgian holiday ale at Bruisin’ Ales every year so far. Malty, but not overly heavy, this beer is so delicately balanced with its strength by cinnamon, nutmeg, and loads of dark fruit like fig and plum. Festive! [10.5% abv]

Gingerbread – Traditional gingerbread spices and organic molasses with 65% cacao dark chocolate. Covered in milk chocolate and sprinkled with baking spices.

1. Unibroue “16″—Aging in cool storage for two years, this anniversary ale from Unibroue is a Belgian Strong Pale. “16″ is sweet with effervescent carbonation from Belgian yeast. Add to that a smack of caramel, clove and apple, maybe even banana? Bubble gum? [10.0% abv]
2. Baladin Noël—A Belgian-style beer by the brilliant Teo Musso from Italy, this holiday winter warmer has a floral nose and fruity palate with a sweet toffee finish. Delish! [9.0% abv]

Cranberry walnut– Organic cranberries, reduced with fresh squeezed orange juice, paired with Nicaraguan dark chocolate from Black Mountain Chocolates in Swannanoa. Rolled in toasted ground walnuts.

1. Gouden Carolus Noël—A dark, beautiful ruby beer, this is the top-selling Belgian holiday ale at Bruisin’ Ales every year so far. Malty, but not overly heavy, this beer is so delicately balanced with its strength by cinnamon, nutmeg, and loads of dark fruit like fig and plum. Festive! [10.5% abv]
2. Baladin Noël—A Belgian-style beer by the brilliant Teo Musso from Italy, this holiday winter warmer has a floral nose, fruity palate with a sweet toffee finish. Delish! [9.0% abv]

Cabernet & Anise – A reduction of Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa, CA), gently infused with organic star anise, in a Peruvian dark chocolate ganache. (w/ dark chocolate star)

1. De Struise Tsjeeses—Another Belgian Strong Pale along the lines of “16″, Tsjeeses has an earthy aroma yet sweet citrusy flavor. A tart, dry finish is accented with hints of roasted nuts. Loads of flavor in this one. [10.0% abv]
2. ‘t Smijse Kerst—A little sweet, a little sour, this beautiful Christmas beer is the beefy one of the whole bunch. Dark, rich, and viscous, note the hints of chocolate, caramel, cherry and apple. A little honey and raisin on the finish tastes like the holidays! [11.0% abv]

Eggnog – A sweet white chocolate butter ganache with nutmeg and vanilla bean is warmed in the finish with a touch of Remy Martin cognac. (w/ freshly grated nutmeg)

1. De Struise Tsjeeses—Another Belgian Strong Pale along the lines of “16″, Tsjeeses has an earthy aroma yet sweet citrusy flavor. A tart, dry finish is accented with hints of roasted nuts. Loads of flavor in this one. [10.0% abv]
2. ‘t Smijse Kerst—A little sweet, a little sour, this beautiful Christmas beer is the beefy one of the whole bunch. Dark, rich, and viscous, note the hints of chocolate, caramel, cherry and apple. A little honey and raisin on the finish tastes like the holidays! [11.0% abv]